All You Need to Know About Treating Tinnitus

Tinnitus is described as a ringing in your ears that only you can hear. It is a common condition that people experience temporarily or long term. It can occur in one or both ears. People will often describe it as a pulsing, ringing, buzzing or whooshing sound coming from your ears or head. The experience can vary by individual.  Depending on a hearing diagnosis, your tinnitus might be temporary. However, most times, tinnitus is a symptom of hearing loss or ear canal blockage. Research shows about 15% of people experience tinnitus.

There is no known cure for tinnitus, however, Tinnitus Retraining Therapy can help manage symptoms of Tinnitus and restore a person’s quality of life.

How does Tinnitus Start?

Tinnitus can be caused for several different reasons, including

• Aging
• Inner ear nerve damage
• Exposure to excessively loud noises
• High or low blood pressure
• Allergies
• Diabetes
• Thyroid conditions
• Tumor
• Wax Buildup
• Neck or head injury
• Reaction to medication

• Jaw misalignment

Your hearing specialist can make A tinnitus diagnosis by taking a complete health history, physical exam, and an auditory test. Your audiologist will provide a full evaluation to determine the probable cause of your tinnitus and how much it is affecting your daily activities.

How is tinnitus treated?

Once your tinnitus is diagnosed, your hearing specialist develops a plan to help you with your tinnitus. Based on the following criteria:

• Your overall health and medical history
• How sick you are
• How well you can handle specific medications, procedures, or therapies
• Is tinnitus permanent?

Depending on the underlying cause of your tinnitus, this experience may be temporary. It could be a side effect of some medication or you could have excessive earwax causing the problem.

However, there is no cure for tinnitus caused by hearing loss or damage to your inner ear. Working with your audiologist to help you manage your tinnitus is currently the best way to help you learn to cope.  

At El Dorado Hearing, our tinnitus retraining therapy program uses a combination of therapy methods to help manage your tinnitus symptoms. We address tinnitus holistically by implementing a combination of treatment methods. 

Personalized Tinnitus Retraining Therapy Program

After a thorough examination and diagnosis, we will develop a personalized plan for you that may include a combination of therapies such as:

• • Hearing aids that are specifically designed to help reduce or mask the symptoms of tinnitus.
  • Extended wear hearing aids that are inserted into your ear by a hearing professional. These are especially useful for people to experience tinnitus during the night.
  • Sound Generators produce white noise to mask the ringing sounds. They are designed as wearable in or behind the ear. Or you can use a tabletop device.
  • Sound Therapy reteaches the brain to forget about the sound by reclassifying it as a neutral sound.
  • Neuromonics is a device that uses acoustic stimuli to retrain the brain.
  • Medications may ease the symptoms of tinnitus by treating a problem that is related to the condition. There is no FDA approved medication to treat tinnitus at this time.
  • Tinnitus Retraining Therapy is a combination of counseling and behavioral therapy to retrain your brain to ignore the sound. You work with a team of professional tinnitus counselors to help you learn how to manage tinnitus.
  • Counseling and Education techniques are used to help you learn about tinnitus.

• Relaxation exercise helps reduce the symptoms of tinnitus.

When you set up an appointment with our professionally trained audiologists, we will discuss your health history, provide a comprehensive hearing exam and devise a care plan that is customized to your hearing needs.

When you are preparing for an appointment with us, here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your visit.

• Make a list of questions you would like to ask
• Bring someone with you to help ask questions and remember what your specialist tells
• Have a log ready with the names of medications, treatments, or tests you have had recently.

How Effective Is Tinnitus Retraining Therapy?

It takes 12-18 months of retraining therapy to rewire your brain to help you manage the symptoms of tinnitus. However, many people find relief within the first few months.

Many people have found this method to improve their quality of life and we believe you can too.

At El Dorado Hearing, we devise a customized hearing management plan for you. This plan includes a combination of education and training to help you learn to manage your tinnitus. We combine the best techniques available to help you. Make your appointment today to start your journey to better hearing.